Harry Potter and the Lizard Devil
by KG555
Summary: The sixth year for Harry and his friends has begun. As the first semester swept past like a wailing wind, the second one came and brought along horrid secrets and unimaginable strives. Meanwhile, Harry and his friends would need to confront countless obstacles as the clock for the Final Battle ticked closer and closer... All credits go to J. K. Rowling :)
1. Chapter One A Semester at a Glance

It's the sixth year for Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, and their fellow Hogwarts schoolmates. The marvelous sunshine beat down onto their faces as the three best friends walked across the Entrance Courtyard together. Everything seemed as cheerful as ever, well, perhaps except for the continuous boring argument between Ron and Hermione on the topic of S.P.E.W, for which they had begun arguing ever since the annual feast on the very first day back.

"Big deal if the house elf starves?" mumbled Ron, with a little laughter, "Well Kreacher should be taught in a lesson you know. He speaks and acts to us, even to Sirius, horrifically!"

"And you shouldn't take, like _all_ his rights away could you?" Hermione argued back, "According to the S.P.E.W., it clearly mentions that the people other than the elf's master or…"

"Why can't you just shut it about _spew_?" Ron interrupted Hermione irritatingly, "I don't want to become a specialist on house elf rights when I leave Hogwarts, or something along those lines in the first place,"

"It's S.P.E.W.!" cried Hermione miserably. However, Ron completely ignored her wailing and turned to Harry instead.

"Well, have you decided what you're gonna do when you leave here, Harry?" inquired Ron.

This sudden questioning didn't fit Harry to respond at once. He was still laying his thoughts back on the wonderful days at the Burrow, and the previous horrible "dog days" with the Dursleys. He has always hoped to have lived with Sirius Black, his Godfather, at No.12 Grimmald Place as a personal wish. Even though the dark and damp apartment might be as dirty and antiquated as ever, but the atmosphere would have definitely been filled with bliss and cheers, for that Harry could finally enjoy the warmth and coziness to be together with his only family left alive. Unfortunately though, Sirius was killed earlier that year by Bellatrix Lestrange: an escaped Death Eater loyal to the Dark Lord Voldemort from Azkaban Prison. And thus, the wish has been shattered, and fleeted back into the oblivion of memories.

Harry's scar suddenly began to burn. This happened every time when the face of the filthy witch drifted up into his mind. He suddenly recalled intensive fragments: The disbelief he had gulped down his throat when seeing his Godfather float gently over the veil in the Department of Mysteries, forever gone from his sight; the utter frustration he had had when he casted the Cruciatus curse, for the first time, on Lestrange; and then, the tense emotion he had felt when he witnessed Voldemort Appariting and dueling with Dumbledore one on one in the middle of the Ministry of Magic; and, the list goes on.

Nevertheless, after a brief moment, he suddenly remembered something else: something he had asked Tonks – one of the Aurors famous for being a Metamorphmagus, somebody with the ability to change his or her appearance at will – last year on Christmas Day at No. 12 Grimmald Place,

"I want to become an Auror when I leave Hogwarts," Harry spat out when the three of them pushed open the oaken front door, heading into the Entrance Hall which was, surprisingly, quite deserted. The incredulous and ever-changing Grand Staircase could be seen on the right, for which would be able to lead Harry and his friends up to their Common Room behind the portrait of the Fat Lady on the seventh floor.

"Oh, like my parents? That's tremendous!" cried Ron with an enthusiastic smile.

"Well then, what do _you_ want to be when you leave Hogwarts?" Harry asked back to Ron. And then, from the corner, a familiar yet despising voice gushed into Harry's ears like sand,

"Maybe Weasley would like to be a "Weasel Transfiguration Teacher" when he leaves, Potter!"

Malfoy came sliding out from the corner, with his big fat cronies, Crabbe and Goyle, hurrying along his wake.

"What do you think you're doing here, Malfoy?" asked Hermione rhetorically, and then backing off a step as she saw Malfoy approaching closer, "Shove off, we don't even want to talk to you!"

"I still haven't finished speaking, Granger," replied Malfoy harshly, "so keep that big gob of yours zipped, you filthy little Mud Blood!"

Hermione tried to argue back, but Malfoy turned swiftly towards Ron.

"And you, Weasley, let's see," he paused, examining Ron's feverish stare, "is unmistakably a typical, smelly, weasel. (Crabbe and Goyle began to smirk). You want to know why? Well here's the thing: with a load of ginger hair you're wearing on your head, it simply makes you look more like a weasel than ever!"

Malfoy laughed impudently, and Ron's face has turned virtually as red as an apple, his ears also boiling hot. Before he could punch Malfoy in the face though, like what Hermione did in their third year, Crabbe had pulled him back, seizing both of his arms and confining his freedom to move.

And then, Malfoy finally turned to Harry, and they both knew what was going to come. They started to search their pockets for their own wands at the same time under the inevitable tension formed between their gazes. When they found their wands, the two stared deeper and more indignantly into the other's eyes, while holding their weapons tightly with teeth gripping like that of werewolves. And then, after what seemed like one whole minute of tension, Malfoy began to speak in a fast pace, breaking the silence,

"Well Potter, you see: Although you're famous all over the place, but even the Ministry won't believe you anymore as it come to now!"

"Where did you get that from, Malfoy," Harry simply asked back, with an inferno burning in his heart, "And what's that gotta do with you?"

"Of course you know the answers to all that, Potter! Father had reported all what you've done to the Minister for Magic himself. It was you who had betrayed him and freed his house elf against his wishes four years ago. He thought that you wouldn't evoke his anger once again, but you did, and a lot worse too. Remember what had happened in that chamber of the archway, at the Department of Mysteries of the Ministry of Magic last year? That stupid idiot Godfather of yours had almost killed him! It was very nice indeed when Bellatrix Lestrange killed Black you know. He'll meet your head-jammed old father and your dirty lily mother, Potter! And believe me: you'll be just like your parents one day! You mark my words!"

He made a slight pause to catch up his breath, but still continued in no time, pointing a finger straight at Harry's nose,

"And after father had told Fudge everything you've done to us over the years, he claimed to be disappointed in both you and Dumbledore, Potter! That dumb old dump had…"

Harry's frustration became unbearable. Despite this though, Malfoy carried on talking about how awful Dumbledore is, and Crabbe and Goyle continued to smirk like a pair of hooligans suffering inside an invisible and non-existent wonderland. Harry couldn't control himself anymore, and without any hesitations, pulled out his wand to aim straight at Malfoy's face. To Harry's surprise, however, Malfoy pulled out his wand at the same time as well, aiming back at him. He ceased his words, and Crabbe and Goyle also stopped smirking. The silence came back between them, but for a very brief moment this time. Their gazes locked as tightly as a pair of shackles, until finally, both of them couldn't hold onto the rope of frustration anymore. They impetuously yelled out their spells at the same time, ignoring the frightened stares from some of the first years standing on the side,

"**Stupefy!**"

"**Impedimenta!**"

Harry bumped into the oaken front door by the Impediment jinx and rolled to the floor; while Malfoy, who had been hit by Harry's Stupefy curse, flew to the opposite wall of the Entrance Hall and fell to the ground with a thud. Ron, with all his might, broke free from the irresistible clench of Crabbe's book-sized hands. He then took out his wand, attempting to jinx Malfoy with furiousness, but quickly stuffed it back into his pocket punctually. Professor Minerva McGonagall – the head of Gryffindor house, professor of Transfigurations, and Headmistress – has thundered down the marble staircases at the very moment when she heard the commotion. As she got in front of the six-years, both Harry and Malfoy had stood up, with Malfoy pretending to deliriously sob in pain. Professor McGonagall cleared her throat and asked in her usual deep quivering voice.

"Mr. Potter and Mr. Malfoy, allow yourselves to explain what had just happened between the two of you,"

She stared at both of them with her curled lips. Harry and Malfoy glanced at each other, and Harry made himself to speak first,

"Professor, Malfoy was the one who started complaining about things that are not all necessarily true. He had been cursing us all, and was also discriminating beyond recognition…"

"But Potter jinxed me first, right Goyle?" Malfoy asked casually.

Without any doubt, Goyle nodded.

"No, Malfoy's lying. We both hexed each other at the same time!" Harry cried out ferociously.

"No we didn't!" Malfoy sneered back silently, glancing at Harry with an irritating expression. Then suddenly,

"Be quiet, both of you!" piped up Professor McGonagall, concluding the argument once and for all. Her eyes seemed to be popping. Then, she lowered her temper and spoke in a solemn tone,

"That's enough you two! You were both acting like some second years, jinxing each other around the school after being delighted to have learned new dueling spells. As consequences, I'd like to take ten points off from both of your houses," she turned to glare at Harry, and then to Malfoy, who let out a sad smile, "for misbehavior. And you'll both receive a detention in my office tomorrow at six o'clock in the afternoon. No exceptions,"

Then, the irritated Headmistress turned around to the other staring first years standing motionlessly beside a colossal statue by the Broom Cupboard, and commanded them to return to their Common Rooms at once.

After having the detention with Malfoy, the school term, then, seemed to have truly and finally started for Harry.

There were a few changes in staffing, as usual. The infamous head of Slytherin house and Potions teacher Professor Severus Snape, whom wished himself as the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher for ages, had successfully became it. A new teacher, by the name of Professor Horace Slughorn, known to have been invited by Dumbledore personally, took Snape's Potions teaching position instead.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione visited Rubeus Hagrid, their Care of Magical Creatures Professor and all time best giant of a friend, three times a week, and everything seemed as blissful as ever. The cuts on Hagrid's face from the mission of finding the giants last year had been healed during the summer holidays, and his big grey dog, Fang, would always lick Harry's face, or at least attempt to do so, whenever he entered Hagrid's cozy little cabin.

To the relief and the uttermost delight of the three Gryffindors, Slughorn's Potion lessons were far more interesting than that of Snape's. He taught the subject genuinely and fairly, and everyone (perhaps except for Malfoy and his cronies) had enjoyed his lessons very much.

The poltergeist Peeves was making dungbombs in the Stink Pallets, for which are little balls that will explode and let out a foul odor when it hit something. Despite the many rumors that went around that Peeves have got the idea of the dungbombs from Fred and George Weasley, for whom had left the school, Peeves still kept the idea to be purely his own. And, as a result to avenge the rumors, Peeves would simply appear out of thin air when he sees someone walking down the corridor alone, and vigorously throw dungbombs down at them. That was usual; but something _unusual_ had happened on the last day of the Christmas holidays.

Harry Ron and Hermione spent their Christmas holidays at the Burrow, along with several other members from the Order of the Phoenix, most notably Remus Lupin, Nymphydora Tonks, Mad-Eye Moody, and Kingsley Shaklebolt. It was indeed a wonderful first half of the year for Harry after all, because ever since the start of the year, he had only had one detention with Malfoy and McGonagall, but no other punishments at all! Even Snape was huddling around when he was having Defense Against the Dark Arts lessons with Harry and the other Gryffindors. In fact, he would only glance at him, and then quickly look away almost as if out of shyness.

Harry was very puzzled, and to some extent, concerned about Snape's behaviors, in the fact that he wouldn't even punish him nor take points off Gryffindor like what he used to always do over the past years. Moreover, he found one thing particularly and unusually disturbing with Snape: He was always smiling when he was talking to Harry and the other Gryffindors that he disliked in the previous years (such as Hermione). And, the smile almost appeared to be sweet and genuine: unsuitably genuine for a wizard like Snape.

Then, when Harry was eating dinner on the last day of the holidays, he suddenly felt his scar prickling. He wondered if the "connection" between himself and Voldemort was going to activate once again. However, after about half a minute, he took a long sigh and concluded that it was nothing more than a pain in his scar. Nevertheless though,

_ What is he up to now?_ Harry thought briefly.

And then, abruptly, the pain was gone.


	2. Chapter Two Snape's Plan

Chapter Two

Snape's Plan

After the Christmas holidays, Harry and his friends were delighted to return to Hogwarts for the second half of the school year. All three just couldn't believe or able to explain how the first half of the year has passed so extraordinarily quickly, at least for them. Harry literally thought, for the first time, that this first half of the school year was just like a dream.

On the other hand, the fifth meeting for the DA (Dumbledore's Army) was scheduled to take place on the evening of that very first day back. The DA is a secretive organization formed by Harry back in his fifth year to gather students and teach them practical dueling spells to fight against Voldemort. Despite the fact that Dolores Umbridge's (The previous Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher and the Hogwarts High Inquisitor) "Ministry order" has been abolished ever since the formal admission of Voldemort's return, Harry sought to carry on the meetings almost like a dueling club, for which he sensed an ever approaching force of darkness growing stronger by the day.

During that evening's meeting, Harry reviewed the squad the petrifying charm, **Petrificus Totalus**. Everyone seemed to have casted the spell well, except for Neville, for whom was partner with Zacharias Smith. For the six years he had been at Hogwarts with his fellow Gryffindors, Neville never seemed to have managed to cast the spell successfully (particularly in the presence of Hermione). And this time, his spell backfired and ended up paralyzing himself, which made Zacharias to nearly laugh his head off.

Against his expectations, Cho Chang, Harry's girlfriend, was quite sad when she saw Harry again. She was actually always sad for the first half of the school year too, still feeling guilty of herself and Marietta, her best female friend, for betraying the DA back when Professor Umbridge forced them down a bottle of Veritaserum, a potion which forces the drinker to tell the truth. Again, for the countless number of times he had done this, Harry forgave her for telling Umbridge the location of the DA meetings, for which was the secretive and enchanted Room of Requirements.

However, there was also someone that Cho still couldn't put her mind off: Cedric Diggory, the courageous Hufflepuff boy who had been alongside with Harry until the end of the Tri-Wizard Tournament almost two years ago, and then, coldly murdered under Voldemort's order. By the mention of Cedric's name, it still brought sorrow and bitterness to Harry's heart. Cho, too, was utterly upset with Cedric's death, so she always stayed under the Mistletoe after the meetings, staring at his picture on the notice board with gleaming eyes. Even when Harry told her to go one time after another, she always stayed.

And finally, after that fifth meeting of the DA, Harry decided to break up with Cho, without her knowing it. He was sad, but still, biting his lips uneasily as he was leaving the Room of Requirements, thought that kissing her under the Mistletoe last year, was a mistake.

"According to the schedule, there should be a short Hogsmeade visit next week," said Hermione on a Monday morning when Harry Ron and her found three seats to eat breakfast in the Great Hall, "but now it's been canceled. I wonder why,"

"It's because that your head is too big to fit into any shops or shortcuts, hahaha!" Malfoy yelled from across the Slytherin table, and then buried into a horrible laugh so that everyone stared at him and Hermione.

"How mental is he!" Hermione said under her breath.

"Feeling shy, Granger?" yelled Malfoy, this time in a sarcastic tone, "Well you know what: you're just a typical filthy little Mudblood in which you really are,"

"Now what's the matter it's got to do with you, Malfoy?" asked Harry confidently, standing up from his seat, bringing a swift of gasps from across half of the hall. Malfoy attempted to push himself up from the table as well, but before he could do anything, Harry warned him loudly, "So, do you want to lose house points of yours and be in a detention like last time? I don't mind, because after all, you were the one who started to interrupt us ridiculously all the time and you know it!"

The entire hall fell silent, but Malfoy merely smirked. And then, he murmured slowly as if he was talking in a dreamy state, "Then, perhaps I should be a little more, how shall I call it, hush-hush? Around your particularly lovely little date-talks," and bored himself into an exploding laughter once again, turning back to his food on the Slytherin table.

"Just ignore him Harry," said Hermione plainly. Harry's temper was going to rise, but fell again as the Great Hall filled with sounds of clattering spoons and knives and chatters. While Hermione gently pulled his sleeve, he slowly sat down in front of his table as well.

After a few minutes, Ron suddenly looked up at the front and pointed a finger towards the staff table, mumbling with half a chicken sandwich in his mouth,

"Hey look: Where are them?" he mumbled with difficulty so to not spill food from his mouth. Hermione looked at Ron and turned her head away at once, perhaps thinking that speaking with a mouth full of food was utterly disgusting. Harry on the other hand turned to the direction Ron was pointing at out of curiosity. There were two teachers missing there: Professor Dumbledore and Professor Snape.

"Hey look Hermione, where do you reckon Dumbledore and Snape went?" asked Harry as an initial surprised response, "They aren't at the staff table. Odd isn't it?"

Hermione then turned to the staff table and looked skeptically, her eyebrows frowning and mouth a bit opened.

"Umm," Ron finally swallowed his chicken sandwich completely, "yeah, where do you think they went Hermione?"

"No idea," she answered plainly, knowing that it was a rhetorical question after all, "but let's go back to the common room first, since we've all finished eating by now (She gave Ron a scourging look). We need to recheck our schedule and see who's taking Snape's DADA (Defense Against the Dark Arts) position today,"

Hermione stood up quickly, ignored some more jeers from Malfoy and the Slytherins across the hall, and went quickly behind the colossal golden gate.

"She's always got a brilliant idea, doesn't she?" asked Ron, with Harry replying with a nod. And then, they dropped their spoons and followed Hermione outside as well.

As the three climbed up the Marble Staircase, a feeling of uneasiness rose in Harry's stomach. _What happened to Dumbledore? Where did Snape go? What are they doing now?_ His questions were countless. And then, without even knowing it, they have approached in front of the portrait of the fat lady on the seventh floor that would lead them into the Gryffindor common room.

"Shrieking Milk Shackle," Hermione enunciated the password for that week. The portrait swung open and the three hurried swiftly to the notice board.

"Oh look," said Hermione, smiling with delight, "Care of Magical Creature's actually first, and Professor Slughorn's taking on _both_ potions and DADA! And…"

As Hermione spoke exuberantly, Harry's heart sank deeper. Every word that she continued to say got dragged longer and longer, and eventually, Harry's world faded into a pitch of blackness. The connection between Voldemort and him was activating once again:

He was standing in a dark, curtained room; more of a classroom actually, in which looked like the DADA classroom very much. He was leaning, actually drifting, closer and closer to the teacher's desk. As he approached there, he found a note on the desk. There were some legible yet blurry lines written on the parchment; the bottom of the piece, simply, read the word "Severus".

Whispers, dark blue and green clouds and mush were curling around and around Harry like ghosts, pronouncing his name and some other verses and chants over and over, almost like the voices of Parseltongue, the language of snakes. Finally, after what seemed like an endless dream, he was awakened by a sudden blackout of the scene, and then light, and then the voice of someone who was literally yelling at him.

"Harry! HARRY!"

Harry heard Hermione's voice calling him and opened his eyes, finding himself on the floor, lying like dead, with Ron and Hermione and several terrified first years staring down at his pale face.

"He should be taken to the Hospital Wing. He seems ill," said a girl sitting under a large portrait. Harry got up with steady legs and answered her politely,

"No thanks, but I think I'm ok,"

Then he turned to face Ron and Hermione.

"Are you sure you're all right, Harry? What happened?" Ron asked terrifyingly. Though then, he added with a little sigh, "Maybe Hermione and I should give you some extra Occlumency lessons from time to time, like what Snape did last year,"

"I don't care about extra Occlumency lessons!" yelled Harry, making the silently snoring Crookshanks on the sofa to suddenly jump in alert. And then, he lowered his voice so that only Ron and Hermione could hear, "There was the connection again,"

And then, he briefly explained everything he saw to Ron and Hermione.

"So, what you mean is that…," Hermione began.

"Of course you know what I mean Hermione!" Harry cried out loud, "Come on, we need to get to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom right now!"

"What if they're having a class?" Hermione asked back.

"There shouldn't be Slughorn having a class, because it was just like last year, the attack of Mr. Weasley: I saw it with my own eyes!" Harry yelled in irritation. Ron groaned.

"And look at the notice board too, you two," Harry further pointed at the notice board, "Even though I'm not sure about the schedules of the other years this year, but I'm quite sure that classes still haven't started for anyone yet. And I saw no one: _No one_ at all in the classroom at that time. Nor did I hear any footsteps if someone were wearing an invisibility cloak or some sort. Anyways, c'mon! We've gotta get there ASAP!"

"What's ASAP?" Ron asked, because that was a muggle abbreviation Harry had accidentally learned from the Dursleys a few years ago.

"I can't explain now, let's go!" Harry urged impatiently, already having half of him climbing out of the portrait hole.

"What in Merlin's underwear are you guys talking about?" asked a little boy standing next to a couch, with others gleaming at the two older Gryffindors with curiosity as well. Ron and Hermione glanced at each other, and without another word, reluctantly followed Harry down the Marble Staircase to the third floor, through the deserted corridors (avoiding Peeves, whom almost detected them if they were a step late into the next chamber), down the stairs, across the Suspension Bridge, and up the long spinning staircase. After a few moments, the three of them were standing in front of the door that would lead them into the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom.

"Err, Hermione, do you think there's anyone in there?" asked Ron, his voice a bit trembling.

"I'm not sure," said Hermione, but then widened her eyes, "Oh! Ron, you should've brought the extendable ear from Fred and George's place so that we can…"

"No you don't need to!" Harry interrupted furiously, "I said, that there were no one in the classroom and I saw it!"

Then, the three of them paused for a moment and slowly nodded in harmony.

"Very well, the best of luck then," said Ron, and slowly pushed opened the classroom door.

The door cracked as it opened. Indeed as what Harry said, there was nobody in the classroom. The dark purple curtains were all closed, hanging like velvets on a stage, so that the only source of light came from the dimly lit candles on the wall for which could easily put one immediately into a state of dreaminess. It was so quiet that when they closed the door again, they almost thought that they could hear the sound of their own heartbeats.

"Ho, that was close," Hermione sighed, "but we've got to be quiet, in case if anyone's still in the office, and …oh!"

The three of them looked up at the classroom's office, and saw that the door was half opened. They held their breaths and tip-toed across the classroom, onto the flight of stairs, and peeked into the office. The scenery of what seemed like complete darkness stretched out before them.

"Let me go ahead then," said Hermione, clearing her throat, "**Lumos!**"

A ball of light appeared at the tip of Hermione's wand. Then suddenly, out of pure astonishment, the three saw the figure of what seemed like a Dementor gliding slowly towards them, its arms stretched in an attempt to grab someone's shoulders. Ron shuddered a little, and so did Harry, but Hermione was absolutely confident in her spells as she aimed, not at the Dementor, but straight at the office door.

"**Colloportus!**" she cried out loud.

The door closed and locked by itself, and silence fell back into the entire classroom. Harry stared at the door with pants and awe, while Ron rather grunted, almost out of voice,

"Blimey! What's a Dementor doing in there? Don't tell me that it is Snape's trap to deliberately suck up our souls!"

"Oh for Heaven's sake Ron, can't you just calm down and think?" Hermione gestured, "That was not a Dementor, but a Boggart!" Harry suddenly felt as if a boulder has been dropped through his stomach, and quickly asked Hermione,

"How did you know?"

"Well," Hermione pulled out her lecture-style posture, "by logics, I could tell that it was a Boggart but not a Dementor because it was unreasonable for one to be here at Hogwarts right now, and that Harry's Boggart was also a Dementor. And, if you two take some note at the periphery features of the Boggart and an actual Dementor…"

"All right, thanks for the teachings and all the wise words," said Ron, patting Hermione to calm her down from didactic excitement, and said, "but I think we've got sufficient lights here,"

"Oh, um, ok then," said Hermione embarrassingly, looking down at her still lit wand, "Well, **Nox**,"

The light vanished.

"C'mon you two now, let's take a look at the note Snape had written, or at least something which is related to him," said Harry, heading down the little stairway. The other two followed closely behind. There was indeed a note on the teacher's desk, and Harry seized it as he got there.

"Look at this: Snape was writing to Dumbledore!" said Harry when he saw the word 'Albus' at the top of the note.

"Let's read it together!" said Hermione, snatching the note out of Harry's hands and putting it down firmly on the desk, right in front of them all. The three began to read in earnest, and silence was the only accompaniment. And, as Harry read the note further, he gradually began to feel more and more worried and uneasy about Professor Dumbledore:

_Albus:_

_Please dismantlethis message as soon as you have finished reading it. I suppose it is repugnant for me to remind you of the meeting I had with you at the beginning of the year on the issue of the Headmaster's status. If time is with us, I proposeto have a private little chat with you on Morto Land in the upcoming days. Get there as soon as possible, Dumbledore!_

_Sincerely,_

_ Severus_

"So, you see what ASAP means right now?" Harry asked Ron, having finished reading the note.

"Well, what?" Ron asked back blankly.

"Can't you see, Ron? It stands for 'as soon as possible'!"

"Oh, I see!"

"But what does Snape mean by 'the issue of the Headmaster's status'?" asked Hermione curiously, "Is he actually implying that Dumbledore is going to quit being a headmaster and leave the place to him?!"

"Doubt it, but where in the world is this Morto Land Snape's talking about?" demanded Ron.

"It could be somewhere very far away," said Harry, his heart twitching, "and…, hang on, do you two reckon that this is the reason why they weren't at the staff table?"

"Yeah, I think so," said Hermione.

"I think this note is odd. Very odd," said Harry, staring at the word 'Severus' suspiciously. And then, a strange thought busted out of his mouth before he could even know it, "This is part of a _plan_. I can feel it,"

Suddenly, they heard a series of sloppy yet pummeling footsteps coming from behind the door, likely the sound of Argus Filch, the nasty Hogwarts caretaker, walking up the spinning staircase to clean up the DADA classroom.

"Uh oh, I think we are in trouble now!" said Ron, staring at the front door with shaky legs.

"Of course we aren't," Harry said confidently, pulling out his wand and aiming at the ceiling, "**Accio Invisibility Cloak!**"

James' Invisibility Cloak appeared out of thin air. Harry grabbed the note hastily, and the three of them huddled together under the cloak (with plenty of difficulty due to all of their grown body sizes from their first year at Hogwarts, which was the time when Harry received the cloak), and departed without another word.


	3. Chapter Three A Place Called Morto Land

Chapter Three

A Place called MortoLand

"Harry, where do you reckon MortoLand is?" asked Hermione for the thousandth time on Professor Binns' all-time boring History of Magic lesson.

"I don't know," Harry simply answered, and then added, "but like what I've said, we can ask Binns about this after this class,"

"No way," said Ron, leaning over from his dog-eared pages, "Binns' just a ghost, and he only cares about history, not geography,"

And then, the three were forced to end their conversation by noting down the two-parchment-length-essay homework Binns assigned to the class that is due the next day.

"Though, I just hope that MortoLand isn't _mortal_!" Ron murmured after jotting down the homework.

"What?" Harry was surprised to hear Ron talking about the subject when all of a sudden,

_Ding, dong…_

The bell signaling the end of class rang, and all the other students gushed out of the classroom like water been released from the opening of a pipe, desperate to get out of the hazy and dizzy environment of Binns' classroom. After all the other students had gone out, and Binns himself had drifted through a wall and disappeared out of sight, Hermione sighed, and proposed,

"Let's ask Slughorn, he's more of a person that we can rely on," said Hermione, sounding hopeful.

"Why Slughorn though?" Harry asked back, curious.

"Well, you see that he is not only talented in Potions, but also in Defense Against the Dark Arts as well," said Hermione, turning her head to look out of the window, "As a matter of fact, this was also what I heard the reason why Dumbledore invited him to come to Hogwarts this year: Slughorn was one of the most prominent students at Hogwarts during his time!"

"Yeah, just like you right?" Ron asked, resulting from a nudge on his shoulder from Hermione in an angry yet humorous way. He chuckled, and so did Harry.

"Well, shall we be off to Slughorn's place now?" asked Harry.

"Certainly," said Hermione.

"But, where is he now?" Ron asked with his eyebrows frowning.

"I checked the notice board this morning, and he's supposed to have just finished a lesson of Defense Against the Dark Arts with the fourth years," said Hermione, already heading out the door of the classroom, "I guess if we go now, we'll still be able to find him before Astronomy!"

As Hermione turned herself around and headed off into the distance of the seemingly stretched corridor, leaving Harry and Ron behind, Ron merely smirked and said, "Well, let's see if the know-it-all's always right," And then, the two started to follow Hermione towards the DADA classroom as well.

Several minutes later, all three arrived in front of the shut wooden classroom door. As they approached the door, Harry knocked silently.

"Who's there?" a confident yet seemingly drunken voice came from inside.

"Harry Potter, Ron Wea-…" Harry responded solemnly when all of a sudden,

"Come in!"

Professor Slughorn interrupted Harry's speech, and the three of them slowly entered the classroom. As they caught sight of the professor, Harry saw that he was reading a book called 'Odd Phenomenon in Potions That Matter with the Dark Arts' behind the teacher's desk, his belly so huge that it seemed that he will soon knock it over. When Slughorn spotted the three students entering, he miraculously waved like a little child as if he wasn't aware of the reason they were entering for.

"Ah, hello there Gryffindors, shouldn't you be in class?" he asked joyously.

Harry was puzzled. Class should be over by now, and Astronomy is the next lesson coming up for them. _Perhaps he was reading his book for too long and lost his thoughts,_ thought Harry, and he spoke seriously to the dazzled professor.

"Professor Slughorn, class was over when the bell rang. And, we have a question to ask you, just one if you won't mind,"

"Really," Professor Slughorn raised his dark brown eyebrows out of surprise, giving Harry an impression of Professor Lockhart, who was Harry's DADA teacher back in his second year, "Well then, I would like to hear your question; but be quick, ok?"

"Ok," Harry paused for a moment, took a deep breath, and mumbled, "Duh yeh know where 'ortoLand is?" He was doing so because he wanted to attract Slughorn's full attention, and it worked.

Professor Slughorn threw his book aside and leaned closer to the desk with a deep frown, "Sorry boy, I didn't catch that,"

Harry cleared his throat and repeated, clearly this time, "Do you know where MortoLand is?"

Professor Slughorn stared at Harry for a lengthy moment, not even blinking. The atmosphere seemed to have locked between the two all of a sudden, with neither of them able to escape the other's gaze. And then, after what seemed like one whole minute has passed, Professor Slughorn finally sighed, leaned backwards on his chair, and spoke to Harry calmly,

"You should know boy, that MortoLand is a dangerous multidimensional island located south west, about a mile off from Hogwarts," Slughorn stated like a lecture, "Because it is multidimensional, so any flying object that got there will lose its position and control immediately. Anyways, on the island, there were used to be an abundance of treasures and gems: Ruby, gold, you name it. The muggles used to occupy that island and use it as a mineral base long time ago,"

And the professor leaned a bit closer, speaking gravely while staring straight into Harry's pupils, "but not anymore,"

"Why, Professor?" asked Harry curiously.

"Because there are tons of _guards_ there," murmured Slughorn, leaning back again and continuing his lecture-like speech, "So, after the first excavation, the enchantment on the island started to activate at once. This enchantment is a different kind of magic: Very dark, very powerful. Eventually, the muggles started to die out throughout the place, and the local residents began to think that it was due to the 'Treasure Curse' of the island. So then, they all fled away in a matter of days, and none had ever mentioned MortoLand ever, ever again,"

Ron and Hermione looked at each other grimly, while Harry's attention was completely undivided.

"In fact," Slughorn carried on, pointing out a finger, "the size of the island is approximately from here to the Boathouse, you know. However, once people got on there, they'll find it incredibly huge, as you know, due to its ability to _manipulate_ between multiple dimensions. There were, and I believe still are, different magical creatures inhabiting on the island, with some of them even carnivorous! There are hidden weapons and cliffs there too, grown out of the 'Treasure Curse' as you might propose, so that if you're absent minded enough, the next thing you'll know is that you are either stabbed to death, or fell to your death! Or: Even worse… In recent times, I believe the creatures there have improved their intelligence and started to build gargoyles and chambers. And, as far as I know, no one has ever returned since the muggles' abandonment of the island in the distant past,

"And…, by the way, why are you six years asking me this?" Professor Slughorn's mind had finally come back to Earth.

"Oh, uh, we had been researching for some, uh, data on absurd islands for Professor Binns' homework," Hermione lied quickly. Harry could see her expression of improvising any homework she could imagine that is adequate to the situation. Nevertheless, Slughorn still understood that it was a lie, and he made to speak again,

"Severus had put you up to this, didn't he?" Slughorn whispered, his tone suddenly sounding cold and unpleasant.

"Well, yesterday, we saw a note on the desk in front of you written by Professor Snape," said Harry, finding it best to tell the truth, "and MortoLand was on it. We have no offence, but just curious to know about it,"

"Oh, for curiosity?" asked Slughorn as though he had just been awakened from a dream at climax, "Thank Merlin! I thought you were asking me for _another_ purpose! You're just like your mother, Lily, curious in learning everything,"

"Well, you see professor…"

"But still, I must warn you Harry," Slughorn interrupted Harry again, "that Morto Land doesn't really matter to students, especially years higher than four. It is simply because they, like you now, would become more and more curious about the world around them and the purpose of all knowledge and things. And, this is coincidentally one of the things that you students are forbidden to know about, and…, you know what I mean, Harry?"

Harry nodded, but he still asked Slughorn,

"But what do you mean, by Snape had…?"

"But it's still good to take a risk to ask a question," interrupted Slughorn for the third time, "just like your father you are, James, a very brave lad he was indeed,"

Before the three could have another word, Slughorn looked over their shoulders and raised his eyebrows,

"And now, off you go all! Don't be late for your next class!" And he picked up the book he had thrown aside and buried his face back into it.

"C'mon, let's go!" Ron whispered urgently to Harry and Hermione, as the three of them departed the classroom and headed off to their next Astronomy lesson with Professor Sinistra.

As they climbed the stairs heading up to the AstronomyTower in silence, Harry's stomach was again full of wonders. Moreover, those wonders are going to cycle within his head again and again for the following days to come:

_...multidimensional…tons of guards there…no one has ever returned…Severus had put you up to this, didn't he…doesn't really matter to students…_


	4. Chapter FourThe Salvationists of Plights

Chapter Four

The Salvationists of Plights

"Right," said Harry, when everyone of the DA settled down for their seventh meeting at eight o'clock in the evening.

"Right," repeated Harry, clearing his throat, "Today, we shall be reviewing a simple tickling spell called **Rictumsempra**, and…"

"Tickling?" cried Michael Corner from the crowd, "Wait, oh I remember! You've used that against Draco Malfoy in that famous duel back in second year!"

Harry nodded with approval towards Michael.

"But wait Harry, you said the spell is supposed to be tickling," Terry Boot spoke aloud, "Then why did Malfoy leap off the floor instead of being tickled?"

"Well, the force of the spell varies with the amount of concentration the caster dedicates to his or her wand," lectured Harry, "so, in my case back then, I put so much force into that spell that it flew out like a straight jolt, and formed quite an offensive spell towards Malfoy, which served him right anyways,"

The room was soon full of gasps and giggles, so that Harry had to yell a little bit to quiet everyone down again,

"Well now," continued Harry, drawing out his wand from his side pocket, "I think everyone had understood the spell well enough, so we can start to practice. Oh, and first, I shall need somebody to demonstrate an example to everyone, just in case. Now, umm, I don't know…, Colin!"

Colin Creevey looked at Dennis, his little brother, for a moment, and headed for Harry. When they were face to face, Harry asked Colin to jinx him with **Rictumsempra**.

"Use the correct wand movement and call out **Rictumsempra** at the same time. Whenever you're ready Colin, just give it your best shot," instructed Harry casually, as though as if he was totally unaware of the effect of the spell. Colin raised his wand nervously and aimed at Harry. After a few seconds, he shut his eyelids and yelled out loud,

"**Rictumsempra!**"

A purple spike-looking spell flew out of the tip of Colin's wand and hit Harry, who leapt off the floor a little bit and fell down with a small thud. He was clutching his stomach while laughing so intensely that his laugh became contagious. First Colin, then Dennis, and finally the entire Room of Requirements were buried under a sea of laughter. After several moments though, Harry finally enabled himself to straighten up and asked everyone else to quiet down and applaud for Colin's effort,

"That isn't, too bad Colin!" said Harry, standing up while struggling a little, still clutching his stomach after the intense laughter, "Now, try to fire the spell at me again while I cast a protective charm. Watch what happens. Whenever you're ready, Colin,"

Colin aimed at Harry once more as Harry also aimed at Colin. And then, two incantations were heard briefly one after another.

"**Rictumsempra!**"

"**Protego!**"

The purple spike jerked out of Colin's wand once more, but was soon repelled by Harry's enchanted shield. The spell flew back at Colin in the shape of an arc, and as it reached him close enough, it started to encircle him with increasing speed and a gradually decreasing proximity.

"What, what do I do?" yelled Colin as he panicked while the spell got ever closer to him. After a brief moment, he cried out loud as the spell finally hit his back, causing him to stumble forward and falling towards the floor, covering under uncontrollable mirth. Some in the crowd laughed at the sight of Colin's prone body as well, as it twitched and clenched itself as though invisible beings tickled all over Colin.

"Are you all right?" Harry immediately hurried over to the Gryffindor boy, and as he helped him up, with Colin still smirking with a goofy face, he explained, "Not many people are clear about why this happens to the spell after it gets deflected, but in able to get out of a situation like this, you can either cast a protective enchantment yourself to deflect the spell once again, or you can crouch down and roll out of the way. Nevertheless, the first method is still better because the spell will otherwise continue to follow you even if you moved your body into a different location,

"Now, I would like you all to find a partner to practice the spell on. Just remember, don't be too high after this!"

The crowd laughed after Harry's words, and just before they were all about to partner up with one another, Harry called out for an immediate announcement,

"By the way," Harry paused for a moment, and continued, "Ron, Hermione, Neville, Ginny, Luna, Fred, George, Angelina, Katie, Alicia, and you Colin: I would like to have some words with you all,"

"What about me Harry?" cried Dennis desperately, "I'm Colin's little brother,"

"I know you're his little brother, but I'm very sorry Dennis. I think you're still not ready for this," replied Harry calmly, and before Dennis could ask any more questions, the group had arrived in front of him, blocking the sight of the little brother of Colin's.

"So, what did you call us here for, ruining our tickling fun?" asked Angelina in her sharp voice.

Harry groaned and glanced at Cho, who was partner with Marietta and looked back at him. However, he didn't give away any further expression, and turned back onto the group again. A deep breath was inhaled before he started to speak,

"Look, it's like this," and under a lowered and darker tone, Harry told the group everything he and his two best friends knew about Morto Land, and the grave possibility of Dumbledore currently being in danger. He also mentioned about the note Snape had written to Dumbledore.

"And you want our help?" asked Fred after listening to Harry's description.

"That sounds tremendous and very challenging!" said George, clutching his hands by his waist, while giving his head a slight nod towards his other twin brother.

"All right, so it means that every one of you had decided to go," smiled Harry, "Very good, then we'll depart four days later and…"

"Hey Potter, don't forget that the fourth day is a Quidditch match between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw," cried Angelina.

"Oh! Then, what about the fifth day Angelina?" Harry asked back, beckoning the schedule with the all-time Gryffindor chaser.

"Nope, nothing on that day,"

"Brilliant, then we'll leave on the fifth day and the fourth day for Quidditch! And…"

"But Harry, why are you leaving tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, and the third day blank? What are you going to do on those days?" asked Colin, his curiosity raising.

Not answering Colin's inquiry at the moment, Harry looked around the Room of Requirements instead, to make sure that everyone was practicing well. To his surprise, when he looked at Lee Jordan, he stared back at him.

"So Lee how's your **Rictumsempra** right now?"

"Um, not too bad," Lee lowered his head down all of a sudden.

"No, he's lying! He was listening to what you guys were saying over there for all this time, and didn't wanna practice with me!" Anthony Goldstein, Lee's partner, yelled out loud harshly. Lee gave him an agitating sneer.

"Then Lee," Harry turned to the boy with dreadlock hair, and he didn't dare to look back up at Harry this time, "as you've heard everything: Do you want to join us?"

"Nah, it's all right," then he looked up straight, but not facing Harry. He was facing Anthony.

"**Rictumsempra!**"

The wand tip illuminated brightly as a thick golden ray, just like the one casted by Harry during the duel with Malfoy in his second year, ejected out of Lee's wand and hit Anthony in an instant. The Ravenclaw boy flew across the entire room and fell onto the ground in front of the door of the entrance. Lee, along with all the other students practicing **Rictumsempra**, stopped and stared at Anthony with disbelief.

"Well done Lee, that was very well done!" cheered Harry, clapping his hands, "And, if you join us and do it all the same to the enemies and obstacles, you'll definitely become a preeminent member!"

There was a pause in the atmosphere, almost like as if time had frozen when all attention had fallen upon Lee Jordan alone. While the others who had not overheard the conversations between Harry and the group were still under a haze of confusion, Lee slowly turned to Harry, and shook his head,

"Nah, I think I still need a bit of practice," said Lee sadly. Then, he turned to Anthony – who stood up slowly, still sobbing in pain – and demanded, "Your turn Anthony!"

"Fine, then," Harry said quietly so that only he could hear it. After calling all the others back to practicing the spell, he turned back to the group without another word. Everyone in the squad was staring blankly back at him, some still having their jaws dropped at the performance of Lee. Nonetheless, Harry still cleared his throat and continued to speak,

"So Colin, did you ask me about what I'm going to do with the three days before Quidditch and the departure?"

"Yes Harry," Colin's curiosity was rising again, and so did the others.

"Well, we're going to practice every night at eight o'clock with the three days: Only you guys! Don't forget! And, I have given our squad a name,"

Now, everyone in the group had their full attention upon Harry.

"Well, corny might it sound, but I decided to call us the 'Salvationists of Plights,' or, perhaps you all have a better name?"

Many shook their heads, and then, Fred pointed out,

"Yeah sure, Salvationists of Plights, I like that name,"

"You know, the name doesn't really matter Harry," added George, "what matters is about rescuing Dumbledore, isn't it?"

"So, how are we gonna get there?" Neville suddenly popped into the middle of the discussion. However, after he made his speech, he still crept back a bit out of shyness of this abrupt questioning. To his amazement though, Luna stood out and carried it on,

"How about using the Thestrals once again? There are still some in the ForbiddenForest," she suggested joyfully.

"But most of us can't see Thestrals, can we Luna?" muttered Ron, turning his gaze slowly at the still smiling Luna Lovegood, "I bet broomsticks are after all better than those sightless creatures,"

"No!" shouted Harry, and just like last time, the rest of the DAs who were practicing **Rictumsempra** looked in his direction in surprise.

"What's up again, Harry?" asked Ernie Macmillan casually.

"Oh, uh, nothing," baffled Harry in a hurry, "and I, I'm very sorry about the shout, and you all can carry on practicing," then the room was full of yells of **Rictumsempra** and cacophonous laughter once again. Then, Harry turned back onto the group and raised his elbows in irritation,

"No, the things all of you have said are inappropriate. Remember, Slughorn told me that the island is multidimensional, so that if a flying object gets there, it'll completely lose its control and position at once. So, in my opinion, I choose boats from the Boathouse. Even though it might be a bit slower to get there, but still: Safety first!"

Ron let out an expression between a smile and a frown, very hard to tell.

"That seems a very good idea to me: Safety first!" said Ginny delightfully, supporting Harry's proposal.

"I would also agree with that," said Alicia.

"So as I!" exclaimed the innocent-looking Colin, who finally came to understand that he's currently on a mission of rescuing the headmaster of Hogwarts.

"Ok then," said Harry, smiling widely now, "So, I'll keep contact with you all via the DA coins. Remember, that you're all members of the Salvationists of Plights! Don't tell anyone else. And, I'll also inform you all whenever there's a time changed within the schedule,"

Then, he looked around the room. Everyone was still practicing the purple spell ferociously, with some even, like Lee Jordan, starting to get the hang of it. The uncontrollable laughters resulting from the tickling effect were also audible at a level similar to the casting of the spell itself.

_I need a whistle,_ thought Harry, and a whistle appeared on the top of a bookshelf on the side in no time.

"**Accio!**" yelled Harry, and the whistle fell gently onto his opened left hand. He brought it up to his mouth and blew hard. About a minute later, silence submerged the entire Room of Requirements like deserted once more.

"All right," said Harry, facing the entire DA now, "it seems that everyone have practiced the spell well enough, so now I shall call someone up and have a little test. Ok, now…, Dean, up!"


End file.
